What activities are there for teenagers to do after school or on weekends if their parents aren’t around? I will answer that in a few words: go to Juice Stop, play football, video games, or chores which no one wants to do. I think we should have more things around locally where kids can ride their bikes. Depending on what my friends and I like to do, I have heard a lot that we should have a new bowling alley. I have also heard people like miniature golf and go carting. In the winter we could have an ice skating rink.

Space might be an issue but there is space over by Wakarusa and Sixth Street by the new Wal-Mart or Free State High School. Kids would be able to ride bikes or walk. We don’t have to use all these ideas but it would be nice to have some more places to go to have fun. The main bowling alleys are too far for people living along the Wakarusa area to go to without driving in a car. We don’t have go-carts or mini-golf, or ice skating; people have to go too far to get to some fun events, so we should have more entertainment on the west side of town. More activities will help kids stay out of trouble and have fun too.

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Comments

Ask the business community to invest their dollars in special activities for our young people instead of more boring retail.In April of 2007 at the top of places to go was a new skating rink:http://www2.ljworld.com/polls/2007/apr/recreation_survey/Here is an idea for young people. Bikes are a great idea. You and your friends could plan trips to Clinton Lake. Take bike locks,binoculars,food and drink with you. The Clinton Pkwy bike path gets you reasonably close. There are hiking paths and bike paths. For that matter West Lawrence has new bike paths. Always keep food and water with you. You and your friends are very close to the movies. Biking to the movies gets you exercise,popcorn and a laugh. Ask parents to schedule activities at our tax dollar supported public schools or Rec Centers. Meet on the school grounds for a game of kick ball or tennis. There are lots of resources available. Indoor swimming is available all year round.Plan a six mile hike around town with your pals. Again be sure to keep plenty of water and food.Also you and your friends could ride the T to the local bowling alleys,the library, art center etc etc. Get bus schedules and see how to make that work. Check out the KU natural history museum. I like your desire to be busy however there may be plenty of existing resources. Let your imagination flow. Lawrence has plenty of resources available. Life is not as boring as you may think = don't let life be boring.

"Also you and your friends could ride the T to the local bowling alleys,the library, art center etc etc."Excellent thought! Make use of those tax dollars rather than complaining about how everything is "so far". In all the discussions about the empT, I don't recall anything about how doing away with it would hamper all the bored kids. Wouldn't that change the perspective of the matter if we did away with it, some 200 kids won't be able to go have fun.

I'm amused that Southwest student can manage to use punctuation and write an original letter while an adult - Richard - can't handle the comma and typically cuts/pastes his "letters" from elsewhere. Frightening.

After reading the recent letters by young people about their concerns Sally Landoll,Language Arts teacher, deserves recognition for the art of encouragement. The young writers deserve a hats off for moving forward with that project. Excellent performance on relating your thoughts to the public.Teenagers are selling themselves short. Put ingenuity to work and tell boredom to take a hike. More new buildings will not eliminate boredom. You young people can do it!Do any of the parents have space for a 4'X8' sheet of plywood to build a lego city that could involve more than one teen?http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Department.aspx?d=9&CMP=KAC-YAHOONA&HQS=lego+city How to get around: Use bikes and feet = exercise or public transportation. Walking or biking about town will provide a ton of exercise. Remember water.Do one day of:indoor poolgo to a moviework on Lego City ( we're talking 1,000's of pieces)have a gathering in a home – play cards take bike hikes to Clinton Lake on the bike trailplan a hike on foot ( 5-6 miles round trip with lots of water)Volunteer to help an older senior neighbor with yard workSchedule art project classes at the Art Centergrocery shop for Mom and Dadpart time jobplant an organic food gardenplay kick ball school groundstake up roller blade hockeyKU Natural History Museum board game party in a home4H projects – even for city slickers a wide variety*Prairie Park Nature CenterAbove are 17 days of stuff to do. If you have afternoon parties at in homes don't forget the music. These activities are necessarily "thinking outside the box" which is to say get on with it.Be constructive, Creative and Enjoy yourselves!